Bottle washing machine



Dec. 17, 1940. J DQSTAL BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 51, 1938 Des. 17, 1940.

J. RQDOSTAL BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 31, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q ll'lVEI'lEElT T R.DEI5'|LEI fag Fit-tmrnega Patented Dec. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE John R. Dosta-l, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Sturdy-Bilt Equipment Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application October 31, 1938, Serial No. 237,871

10 Claims.

This invention appertains to bottle washing machines of the type in which the bottles are carried by an endless conveyor through a washing cabinet or housing, where the bottles are subjected to a number of different washing and rinsing steps to insure the proper cleaning thereof, both interiorly and exteriorly.

In this type of machine, it is desirable to ad vance the conveyor in a step-by-step movement, so that the various sprays of caustic, rinse water, etc. will have sufficient time to act efiiciently on the bottles.

It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of my invention to provide a novel means for advancing the conveyor with the bottles in a positive step-by-step movement, the said means engaging the feed chain or conveyor for a substantial part of its length and in such a manner, that the feed chain or conveyor is prevented from crimping and whereby all lost movement through wear is taken care of, and whereby the bottles will be properly centered relative to the spray heads, as the bottles are advanced through the machine.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a pair of longitudinally extending rack bars positioned on opposite sides of the machine for engaging the opposite runs of the conveyor for a substantial part thereof, with novel means for operating the rack bars in opposite directions and in proper timed relation, so as to insure the correct movement of the conveyor through the cabinet or washing machine.

A salient object of my invention is the provision of novel means for raising and lowering the, rack bars, so as to insure the proper engagement thereof with the links of the conveyor at the correct time to bring about a step-by-step movement of the conveyor, novel means being also provided for facilitating the raising of the rack bars, and counter balancing the weight thereof, so as to effectively eliminate'undue strain on the operating means for the rack bars.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a novel washing machine of the above character, which will be durable and efficient in use, one that will be comparatively simple and easy to manufacture and one in which all of the parts will be readily accessible for repairs and the like.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view through my novel washing machine, showing parts thereof broken away. T

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional view through the machine, with parts eliminatedso as to illustrate the drive for the conveyor. I

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, transverse, sectional view through the machine, illustrating the rack bars for operating the conveyor andthe means i 5 for counterbalancing the weight of the rack bars.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, longitudinal view illustrating the formation of the rack bars utilized for operating the endless conveyor, only a fragment of the conveyor being shown, with parts thereof broken away and in section.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A generally indicates my improved bottle washing machine, which comprises a casing or housing I0 supported upon a suitable base (not shown).

The housing or casing Ill is preferably formed from heavy sheet metal, such as boiler plate or the like, and includes the bottom wall H, the longitudinally extending spaced parallel side walls I2, and the end walls IS. The side walls l2 are extended vertically for a major length of the housing to define a longitudinally extending washing compartment [5, The elevated portions of the side walls l2 terminate short of the front end of the machine and at this front end is located the means for placing and removing the bottles from the endless conveyor [6 incident to the travel of the conveyor through the washing compartment. This washing compartment comprises rinsing and caustic sprays, which are separated from one another, as will be hereinafter more fully pointed out.

Referring more particularly to the endless conveyor IE employed for carrying, the bottles through the washing compartment, it is to be noted that the same includes an inner endless flexible chain ll, embodying a plurality of links 18 pivotally connected together, as at l8. Each of the links I 8 have connected therewith, the outwardly extending transverse arms l9 which carry the heads or cups 20 for supporting the necks of the bottles 2|, which are to be washed.

The heads or cups 2!] are of a hollow construction and support the bottles in an upright inverted position, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, so that the bottom spray will be free to enter into the bottles. The outer ends of the arms l9 have rotatably mounted thereon guide rollers 22 carrying guide flanges 23. The rollers 22 rest and travel on longitudinally extending outer guide tracks 24 disposed Within the casing and supported rigidly by the casing against movement. The longitudinal tracks 24 are connected at their terminals by arcuate tracks 25 which are provided with. outstanding guard rails 26. The guide flanges 23 of the rollers 22 engage the inner edges of the tracks 24 and 25 and hold the arms IS in proper position during their travel. through the machine.

Similar inner tracks 24 are provided. on which the links l8 rest and travel. The endless conveyor can be driven in either direction according to whether the machine is to be constructed for a right or left hand drive. In the present instance, the machine has been illustrated as. a right hand drive; that is, the conveyor istravelling in a clock-wise direction at all times, referring to Figures 1 and. 2 of the drawings. Thus, in this particular instance, the bottles areplaced on the conveyor at the left hand end of the machine. directly in. front of the washing compartment I5 and the bottles? are removed from the right hand side of the machine as the same come from the washing compartment.

In the: washing compartment l5 are arranged the: various means for rinsing and washing the bottles. As the present invention relates to the novel feed for the conveyor, the washing and rinsing appliance for the bottleswillnot be shown or described in detail.

My improved means for operating the conveyor consists of longitudinally extending pairs of rack bars 44 and 45 arranged on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the machine below the conveyor belt. The pair of rack bars 44 engage one run of the conveyor on one side of the machine, while the pair ofrack bars 45 engage the run of the conveyor on the other side of the machine. These pairs of rack bars work in opposite directions, so that the pair of rack bars 44 will push the conveyor toward the back end of the machine and the pairs of rackbars 45 will pull the other run of the conveyor toward the front of the machine. The opposite ends of the rack bars are pivotally connected to crank arms 46 rockably mounted on transverse cross shafts.

These cross shafts 48 are mounted in suitable bearings secured to slide plates 49'. These slide plates 49 arranged adjacent to the opposite ends of the pairs of rack bars and are slidably mounted on suitable guide tracks 50. Arranged adjacent to the front end of the machine is a vertically disposed drive shaft 5i. This drive shaft 5| is rotatably mounted in bearings and is provided with a worm wheel 52 mounted in a bearing box 53. This worm wheel has meshing therewith, at all times, a worm keyed to a motor drive shaft (not shown). The motor can be of any desired type, such as an electric motor of the preferred horse power. The upper end of the vertically disposed drive shaft 5| is geared to a transversely extending cross shaft 54 by means of bevelled gears. The ends of the cross shaft 54 are provided with oppositely disposed crank arms 56. These crank arms 56 have rotatably connected therewith, the rearwardly' extending pitman or connecting rods 51 which lead to the cross heads 41 carried by the front ends of'the rack bars 44 and 45. As shown, the rear crank arms 46 of the rack bar are left free for rocking movement and only-the front crank arms 46 are connected with thepitman or connecting rods 51.

Each of the slide plates 49 carries stops 58 and 59. The inner stops 58 for the rack bars are disposed in the path of the crank or rock arms 46 in such a manner as to hold the rock arms in a substantially raised vertical position, so that the rack bars will be held raised during the forward stroke of their pitman rod 51.

As soon as the rocking arms 46 come into engagement with. the stops, movement is then imparted to the slide plates 49, so that these plates are reciprocated during continued travel of the pitman rods. The stops 59 are of a less height than the stops 58, so that upon the back stroke of the crank arms 56, the rock arms 46 will engage the said stops and be held at an angle to the vertical with the racks in a lowered position. After the rock arms 46 engage the stops 59, the slide plates 49 will be slid toward the front of the machine with the operating crank arms 56. It is to be understood that the stops 58 and 59 onone side of the machine are located in opposite directions to the stops on the other side of the machine, so that the rock arms on each side of the machine will be held in an elevated position at the same time. By this arrangement the rack bars are raised and lowered and reciprocated by the crank arms 56.

I provide novel means for facilitating the raising of the rack bars and for counter balancing the. weight thereof, so as to render the machine easy to operate. This means for raising and equalizing the weight of the rack bars embodies front and rear transversely extending cross bars 60 and BI. As shown, these front and rear cross bars 66 and. 6| each include a raised central portion 62 carrying upstanding pivot ears 63 and laterally extending side portions 64. Each of the side portions 64 carry supporting rollers 65 which are adapted to engage the lower edges of the'pairs of rack bars 44 and 45.

The cross bars 66 and 6| are intermittently raised and lowered at, the. appropriate time by means of the. longitudinally extending push rod 66. This push rod 66 is reciprocated through the medium. of a bell crank 61 arranged at the'front endof the machine. The bell crank 61 is rockably mounted at its angle on a suitable pivot 68 supported by the: frame of the machine. The outer end-of the upper arm of the bell crank is operatively connected to the push. rod 66, while the lower: arm. of. the bell crank 61 carries a roller 69, which is disposed between a pair of companion cam discs 10, keyed or otherwise secured to the vertically disposed drive shaft 5 I. Obviously, during, the rotation of the cam discs 10, the bell crank 61 will be rocked: to cause the movement of the push rod 66. This push rod is supported in suitable guides ll carried by the frame of the machine- Secured to the push rod. 66 in any preferred manner are the slide blocks 12 and 13. These slide blocks 12 and 13 are provided with camtracks 14, in which ride rollers I5 carried by the lower ends of depending arms 16. The upper terminals of the arms 16 are pivotally connected to front and rear weighted levers I1 and 18. These. levers H and '18 are rockably mounted at. a point intermediate. their ends on suitable bearings 19 securedto the frame. of the machine. The. inner ends of these weighted levers I1 and 18 are pivotally connected to the pivot ears 63 of the cross rods 60 and 6h. The opposite ends of the levers have adjustably mounted thereon the weights 86 which act to counter balance the weight of the rack bars.

Obviously, during the forward movementof the push rod 66, the slide blocks I2 and 13 will'act to raise the arms 16 which will swing the weighted levers 11, so as to cause downward movement of the cross bars 60 and 6|, which will allow the rack bars 44 and 45 to lower. During the reverse movement of the push rod 66, the rollers on the arms will ride in the bottom parts of the cam tracks 14, causing the weighted levers 75 and 18 to raise the cross bars SI) and Gland thereby elevate the pairs of rack bars 44 and 45.

By this arrangement of parts, the pairs of rack bars are alternately raised and lowered and reciprocated in opposite directions for bringing about the step-by-step movement of the conveyor chain with its load of bottles. The rollers 65 are preferably mounted on short shafts 8| carried by the portions 64 of the cross bars 80 and iii. The outer ends of these shafts BI can be slidably mounted in guides 82 carried by brackets 83 depending from the outer tracks 24.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that I have provided an exceptionally simple and novel mechanism for operating the conveyor belt of a bottle washing machine.

The means for operating the conveyor is such that each tooth of the rack bar will engage a bottle carrying arm of the conveyor which insures a drive of the conveyor throughout the major part of its entire length. This eliminates all crimping of the conveyor. Further, the engagement of the rack bars with the conveyor acts as a safeguard against lost motion through wear, and insures the proper centering of the bottles at all times relative to the various sprays.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of my invention, but what I claim as new is:

1. In a bottle washing machine, an endless conveyor for the bottles including a pluralitv of s aced bottle carrying arms, and means for advancing the conveyor in a step-by-step movement including a rack bar. and means for raisin and lowering the rack bar and r ci rocating the rack bar, the rack bar having rigid teeth thereon movable into and out of engagement with a plurality of the bottle carrying arms during raisinc and lowering of the rack bar.

2. In a bottle washing machine, an endless conveyor including a plurality of spaced bottle carrying arms, said conveyor including a pair of spaced runs, a rack bar for engaging one run, a second rack bar for engaging the other run, said rack bars being of a length substantially equal to the length .of said runs and having armengaging teeth, whereby the same can engage the runs of conveyor substantially throughout their entire length, means for reciprocating the rack bars synchronously in opposite directions, and means for simultaneously raising and lowering the rack bars for moving the teeth into and out of engagement with the arms.

3. In a bottle washing machine, an endless conveyor including a plurality of spaced bottle carrying arms, the conveyor including a pair of spaced parallel longitudinally extending runs, and means for advancing the conveyor in a step-by-step movement including a pair of rack bars having rigid teeth for engaging the arms of one run of the conveyor and a pair of rack bars having rigid teeth for engaging the arms of the other run of the conveyor, means rockably supporting the opposite ends of the pairs of rack bars, means including a crank shaft for reciprocating the pairs of rack bars in opposite directions, and means for simultaneously raising and lowering the pairs of rack bars.

4. Ina bottle washing machine, an endles conveyor including a plurality of spaced bottle carrying arms, the conveyor including spaced parallel longitudinally extending runs, a pair of rack bars having rigid teeth for engaging the arms of one run of the conveyor, a second pair of rack bars having rigid teeth for engaging the arms of the other run of the conveyor, said rack bars extending substantially the entire length of the runs, rock arms rockably supporting the opposite ends of the rack bars, means including a crank shaft for rocking and reciprocating said rack bars in opposite directions, a slide plate supporting each of said rock arms, and stops disposed in the path of movement of the rack arms, as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a bottle washing machine, an endless conveyor including a plurality of spaced bottle carrying arms, the conveyor including a pair of spaced parallel longitudinally extending runs, a pair of longitudinally extending rack bars having teeth for engaging the arms of one run of the conveyor, a second pair of rack bars having teeth for engaging the arms of the other run of the conveyor, said rack bars extending substantially the entire length of the runs of the conveyor, slide plates slidably mounted below the conveyor at the ends of the pairs of rack bars, rock arms connecting the ends of the pairs of rack bars to the slide plates, stops carried by each of the slide plates disposed on opposite sides of the rock arms and in the path thereof, one of the stops being of a height to hold the rock arms in a vertical position, a crank shaft, means operatively connecting the crank arms of the crank shaft to the rock arms, and means for driving the crank shaft.

6. In a bottle washing machine, an endless conveyor including a plurality of spaced bottle carrying arms, the conveyor including a pair of spaced parallel longitudinally extending runs, a pair of longitudinally extending rack bars having teeth for engaging the arms of one run of the conveyor, a second pair of rack bars having teeth for engaging the arms of the other run .of the conveyor, said rack bars extending substantially the entire length of the runs of the conveyor, slide plates slidably mounted below the conveyor at the ends of the pairs of rack bars, rock arms connecting the ends of the pairs of the rack bars to the slide plates, stops carried by each of the slide plates disposed on opposite sides of the rock arms and in the path thereof, one of the stops being of a height to hold the rock arms in a vertical position, a crank shaft, means operatively connecting the crank arms of the crank shaft to the rock arms, means for driving the crank shaft, a push rod, means for reciprocating the push rod, cam guide blocks carried by the push rod, counter balancing levers rockably mounted intermediate their ends above the rack bars, means including links pivotally connected to the counter balancing levers on one side of their pivots for engaging the cam guide blocks, and cross bars pivotally carried by the inner ends of said counter balancing levers for engaging all of the rack bars.

'7. In a bottle washing machine, an endless conveyor including a plurality of spaced bottle carrying arms, the conveyor including longitudinally extending parallel runs, means for advancing the conveyor in a step-by-step movement including a pair of rack bars having teeth for engaging the arms of one run of the conveyor, a second pair of rack bars having teeth for engaging the other run of the conveyor, slide plates slidably mounted below the ends of the rack bars, rock arms pivot-ally connecting the ends of the rack bars to the slide blocks,stops carried by the slide blocks and arranged onoppositei sides of the rock arms and in the path thereof, one of the stops being of sufficient height to hold the rock arms in a vertical: position, a crank shaft having oppositely directed throws, means connecting the throws to the pairs of rack bars, and means including counter balancing levers for facilitating the raising and lowering of the rack bars.

8. In a bottle washing machine, an endless conveyor including a plurality of spaced bottle carrying arms, the conveyor including, longitudinally extending parallel runs, means for advancing the conveyor in a step-by-step movement including a pair of rack bars having teeth for engaging the arms of one run of the conveyor, a second pair of rack bars having teeth for engaging the other run of the conveyor, slide plates slidably mounted below the ends of the rack bars, rock arms pivotally connecting the ends of the rack bars to the slide blocks, stops carried by the slide blocks and arranged in the path of the arms one of the stops being of suflicient height to hold the rock arms in a vertical position, a crank shaft having oppositely directed throws, means connectin the throws to the pairs of rack bars, means including counter balancing levers for facilitating the raising and lowering of the rack bars, a vertically disposed drive shaft, means operatively connecting the drive shaft to the crank shaft, a push rod, means for reciprocating the push rod from the drive shaft, guide blocks secured to the push rod having cam tracks including an elevated and a depressed portion,

weighted levers rockably mounted intermediate their ends above the rack bars, cross bars, means pivotally connecting the inner ends of the weighted levers to the cross bars, said cross bars being adapted to engageall of the rack bars, 5

links pivotally connected to the weighted levers on the other side of the pivots thereof from said cross bars, and rollers carrier by said links slidably mounted in the cam tracks, of the guide blocks. r i

9. In a bottle washing machine, an endless conveyor including a plurality of spaced bottle carrying arms, a longitudinally extending rack bar having teeth for engaging a plurality of arms of the conveyor; side plates mounted below the 1 conveyor at the ends of the rack bar, rock arms connecting the ends of the: rack bar to the slide plates, stops carried: by eachof the slide plates disposed on opposite sides of the rock arms and in the path thereof, one of the stops being of a 2 height to hold the'rock arms in a vertical position, and means for oscillating the rock arms.

10. In a bottle washing machine, an. endless conveyor including a plurality of spaced bottle carrying arms, means for advancing the conveyor 2 in a step-by-step movement including a raclc bar having teeth for engaging the arms oftone run of the conveyor, slide plates mounted below the ends of the rack bar, rock arms pivotally connecting the ends of the. rackbar to'the slide 3 plates, stops carried by theslideblocks and arranged on opposite sides of the rock arms and in the path thereof, one of the stops being of sufiicient height to holdthe rock arms in a vertical position, means for oscillating-the rock arms, and 3 means including counterbalancing levers for facilitating the raising and lowering the rack bar.

JOHN, R. DOSTAL. 

